Who Has to Know?
by Pocket Alix
Summary: --Cartoonverse-- Beetlejuice finally realizes something and has to let Lydia know. Will it all blow up?
1. Chapter 1

_Hello! This is the first time I've actually posted a fanfic on… uh… anywhere. While you're reading this, please keep in mind that I wrote this at about 7am. I woke up with the idea floating around in my head. I do hope you enjoy this. _

_I don't own anything but the imaginative plot… which is probably a good thing_

Beetlejuice had begun to notice something. He wondered if Lydia had, also. He didn't think so. She seemed so… oblivious at times. But how could she not notice? He loved the way she always ran to his arms. Usually she gave a squeeze in terror or a grateful embrace. Both were good in Beetlejuice's book. He enjoyed them. He enjoyed how Lydia fit so perfectly in his arms. And, he loved how even though he was the ghost, she was the one who really weighed next to nothing. But, very recently he had begun to notice something new, strange building inside of him during each hug. It would start at the pit of his stomach and rise through his chest to his throat. And it wasn't him throwing up! But, it made him feel so weak all over.

Beetlejuice had really begun to really notice this feeling during his Sappy Ghoul Cookie scam. He did something really stupid (isn't that how most of his scams turned out in the end?) and little Lydia ran to his arms for protection. For the first time, he really noticed everything about her. She smelled… nice. It was a flowery aroma, very light and very pleasing. He noticed how soft her hair was against his cheek. He even noticed how silky her clothes were. Then he noticed he was holding her for just a little too long and wondered if she would notice, too.

Things only seemed to escalade from there. Eventually, the ghost with the most began to simply make problems just so he could be close to her. Not that he wouldn't have made problems anyway. But, more and more, and it was becoming evident that not only did Beetlejuice like Lydia's company, he liked… her. He really, really liked her. He was coming up with excuses to visit her.

He finally decided - he had to tell her.

It was late in the "real" world. Just about midnight. Lydia hadn't called Beetlejuice all day. He didn't mind too much - it gave him time to plan out what exactly to do and say - but he still would have liked to see her. He perched himself in Lydia's mirror and watched her sleep. She made the cutest noise while off in dream land. Mostly sighs and soft groans. This wasn't the first time Beetlejuice watched her sleep. In fact, he usually watched her sleep. This was, of course, just a precaution to keep her safe. You never know when a prowler would come to attack. But, this was the first time he watched her with a real intention. If she woke up, he'd ask her to let him Out so they could talk.

Of course, Beetlejuice could always trick his little Lyds into saying his name by going into her dreams, but one of the last times he snuck in her head she was having a very hot, very naughty dream about some celebrity he had never heard of. And, though he knew it was just a harmless crush. It was just a little upsetting to see how handsome and… well, clean this guy was.

"Mm… uh…. Nn…" Beetlejuice heard Lydia shuffle around in her bed. He ducked to his left just as Lydia sat up, rubbing her eyes. She stretched and yawned and crawled out of bed, probably to get a glass of water.

Beetlejuice peeked around the corner. She was gone. He rested his elbows on the edge of the mirror and placed his chin in his palms. He was going to patiently wait for her to come back. If he'd had a heart, it would be pounding right now. He was going to say something that could completely ruin their relationship. He knew the problems. She was fourteen, he was six hundred and… something… she was alive, he was dead… minor details that could add up and destroy everything. Of course, their friendship had survived these hurtles. Why couldn't… well… whatever he was aiming for?

In trotted Lydia, her tired feet dragging across the floor. Beeltejuice leaned in a bit and cleared his throat. He didn't want to startle her too much.

"Psst! Lydia!" he whispered.

Nothing. No response.

"Hey! Lydia!!" he said a little louder, but still she didn't acknowledge him.

"LYDS!!!" Beetlejuice finally shouted.

Lydia jumped and fell out of her bed. She had just settled back under the covers…

She walked over to Beetlejuice, again dragging her exhausted feet. She looked in the mirror, giving a slight glare.

"What?" she said with a grouchy tone.

"Aww.. C'mon babes. You didn't see me all day and that's the 'hello' you gimme?" Beetlejuice crossed his arms and gave a real show of his displeasure.

"Sorry, Beej. I was busy today. Prudence and Bertha took me shopping. This boy asked me out and they wanted to make sure I didn't scare him away with my weird fashion."

Beeltejuice's jaw hung open and his arms began to fall to his sides. "..oh." was all he could muster to say.

"What did you want?" Lydia said, this time with a much sweeter tone.

"uh… Nothing. I just saw you come back to your room. I figured you were awake or… something…"

Lydias expression changed. she started to frown a little. Apparently, she was trying to figure out what was going on in Beetlejuice's head. He was worried she would.

"Beetlejuice! Beetlejuice! Beetlejuice!!" Lydia finally shouted, throwing the poltergeist throw the mirror, into her bedroom. She sat down on her bed and patted the spot next to her. "C'mere, Beej"

Beetlejuice floated slowly towards the bed. His hands were folded in front of him and his head tilted down. He weightlessly plopped down next to the girl and gave a small sigh.

"What's wrong?" she asked, patting her tiny hand against the ghost's back.

"I… uh…." said ghost wasn't entirely sure what to say.

Lydia waited patiently, rubbing and patting her ghostly companions' back, trying her best to sooth his troubles away. Until - at least - she noticed something… odd.

"Beej, did you… wash your clothes?" the small girl leaned in a bit to get a better look. Her tiny nose started twitching as she sniffed. _Not just his clothes!_

"uh… yeah… I thought you might.. I'unno… appreciate it or… something…"

"Beej, did you… brush your teeth?!" Lydia jumped up so she could stand in front of him and get a better look.

Beetlejuice was silent. He watched the girl watching him, eyeing him like a vulture.

"ok, BJ. What's the scam?"

"no scam. I really just thought you'd appreciate it." Beetlejuice was giving a sincere attempt at being sincere.

Lydia sat down next to her ghostly friend once more. She gave a look of genuine concern that would have killed Beetlejuice if he wasn't already dead.

She was so patient with him. That's probably what he liked best. Everyone else would be yelling at him or nagging him to just spit out whatever he was going to say. Not Lyds, though. She would wait till the end of eternity for him to speak. But Beetlejuice didn't want to speak. He looked over at the girl, watching her for a second. Slowly, he leaned in, giving her more than enough time to dash away if she wanted to. His eyes fell shut as his lips lightly pressed again Lydia's.

_Soft…_ that was all Beetlejuice could really think. Lydia was simply all around soft. Her lips were like two rose petals against his. He raised his left hand to Lydia's cheek, gently caressing her skin with his thumb. He couldn't help it. He cracked open his eyes, slowly.

Lydia's eyes were wide. Beetlejuice realized she wasn't kissing back. He quickly stopped what he was doing and pulled completely away. Lydia looked completely stunned.

"Lyds..? Babes..? You ok?" Beetlejuice waved his hand in front of her eyes, trying to get her attention.

"BEETLEJUICE! BEETLEJUICE! BEETLEJUICE!!!"

"Babes, wait! Nnn-" but it was too late. Beeltejuice was back in the Netherworld, gone before he could finish his sentence.

_TBC_


	2. Chapter 2

_Ah.. Yes… Chapter two. It starts getting a little hot and heavy… ya know, I really wanted to make the charters kinda light and fluffy, but apparently I'm not go at such things. Oh well. They stay _mostly_ in character… XD_

_And I still don't own them… damn._

_--_

She sent him back! Not only did she send him back, she had given him the most horrified look he'd ever seen. And that was really saying something.

Beetlejuice crossed his arms behind his back ,right hand holding his left wrist. He sighed and started pacing. She wasn't going to leave him there. She would have to call him back… well, eventually. She always called him back.

He continued pacing, walking back and forth, back and forth, frowning as he tried to come up with a plan. He growled and groaned, head completely empty. The only thoughts he could focus on was that kiss. Even though Lydia didn't kiss back, it was still one of the nicest feelings. Her lips were so soft. She smelled so good…

Beetlejuice blinked and realized there was a long, narrow indentation right where he was standing.

"Man, I'm really stuck in a rut…" the ghost mused to himself. If nothing else, he could still amuse himself. "I've heard of getting into the groove of things, but this is ridiculous.." and with that, he disappeared and reappeared on his couch, lounging. She would call him back soon.

Except, how long had it been? Certainly not that long. Maybe a few hours… Beetlejuice would have checked a clock if only one had worked. Maybe he could just… ya know… check… Lydia wouldn't mind. And, she probably wouldn't see. She was probably at school already, anyway. Just one quick, tiny glance.

The ghost appeared in Lydia's vanity mirror. It was daylight out. Lydia wasn't in her bed. So, she was at school. That made things at least a little easier. Beetlejuice maneuvered to get a better look at the Count Dracula clock he'd gotten her for their fourth 'anniversary' a few months ago. 2:30pm. Ok… So it had been just a little longer than he thought… That was ok. She would definitely call him Out after school. Only another half hour. He had waited this long, what was another thirty minutes?

The ghost went about, trying to entertain himself. Mostly, he thought of new puns. He liked puns. They were easy and Lydia always laughed at them. He could turn into a shoe and ask her to not give him the boot. Maybe, if she was giving him the silent treatment he could shiver and ask her to not give him the cold shoulder. If he could just get her to laugh, everything would be ok again.

There she was! Beetlejuice ducked down, not wanting to be seen just yet. He peeked up and watched as Lydia tossed her books on her bed. She started doing something a little odd, though. She was still holding something… a cloth… maybe a sheet… what was she…? Suddenly, Beetlejuice was staring at a snowy white wall of cloth. She had covered the mirror up!

"Babes!! That's not fair!!"

The protest continued, but Lydia took no notice. Well, the mirror wasn't the only place Beetlejuice could appear! He tried Lydia's math book. That was usually the first bit of homework she did. No… not here. Ok, History.

"Lyds!" Beetlejuice exclaimed. He was taking the place of a picture of George Washington. "Lydia, I cannot tell a lie." he said, nose up, acting stuffy. "Well, actually I can. And I'm good at it. But I do think we should ta-"

Lydia cut the ghost off (again!) by slamming the book shut. Beetlejuice groaned a bit and reappeared in the mirror. He really screwed up. She wasn't going to let him apologize or even attempt to work things out with him. It was one little kiss! Why was she so upset?!

Well, fine. If that's how she wanted to be. The ghost simply went back to the Roadhouse. She'd be begging him to come back. Eventually. He was sure about it. They were best friends, after all. He just had to be… patient. Yeck.

The ghost patiently lounged on his couch, patiently crunching the beetles that scurried past, and patiently stared at one of his broken clocks. He sighed and patiently rolled on to his stomach and patiently twiddled his thumbs in front of him. Then, he patiently rolled on to his side and patiently groaned.

"This is driving me insane!!" with a poof, Beetlejuice was suddenly in a chauffer outfit with a steering wheel in his hand. "I'm losing my mind!" and with a creek, out popped the pinkish grey organ from Beetlejuice's skull. "Hey! Get back here. Lydia already left me, you can't go too!"

Beetlejuice finally caught up with his mind just in time to hear a muffled groaning. He gave a suspicious look towards Lydia's mirror and snuck over. Her window must have been opened because the sheet had been moved just enough that Beetlejuice could peek out.

There was a shape on Lydia's bed. A boy… he didn't seem like Lydia's type (of course, Beetlejuice thought _he_ was Lydia's type). The boy was kind of bulky with dark skin. H also had very short, black hair. He was wearing a green polo shirt and a long pair of shorts. His back was turned to the mirror, so Beetlejuice couldn't really make out what the rest of this kid looked like. He didn't need to know. He was getting steamed up. The kid was touching _his_ Lydia.

Beetlejuice bit down on his bottom lip, trying to stifle a growl. He watched as the boy's hands traveled up and down Lydia's body, over her hip to her stomach, then up to her chest. The boy's body was in the way, so Bettlejuice couldn't tell exactly what was going on, but he certainly had a good idea.

"Lydia!" Charles voice was coming from a distance… it sounded like downstairs.

"Daddy?!!?" Lydia cried and pushed the boy off of her. She rushed over to her window and waved for him to leave through there. "_Hurry!"_ she whispered harshly.

The boy was gone and out the window fairly quickly. Lydia hoped he wouldn't fall and hurt himself. It was certainly a long way down if he slipped. Lydia straightened herself up and jumped to her bed and grabbed a book. She started flipping through it aimlessly, hoping to give the effect she'd been reading for a long time. The girl quickly realized the book was upside down and corrected it hoping her dad wouldn't walk in while she was fixing the book.

But, he didn't come in. In fact, she didn't hear any footsteps. She didn't hear anything. The house was completely silent. Then it dawned on her. "oooh!!!" she cried when she realized just what had happened. Lydia marched to the mirror and tore off the sheet.

"_You_ did that, didn't you?" her usually serene and pale face was twisted and red with anger.

"Yup."

Lydia's eyes started darting around the room, probably to find something to hit Beetlejuice with. He suddenly felt lucky to be in the mirror. Even if she threw something at him, the worst that would happen would be the mirror breaking. And, even in a fit of rage, Lydia wasn't dumb enough to break a mirror.

"_WHY?!_" she cried out.

"Didn't you see what he was doing to you? Babes, I _had_ to do something. Or else he would have plucked your flower, if you know what I mean."

Lydia gave a small shriek of anger, grabbed the sheet, and tossed it back over the mirror. Oh boy… if she wasn't angry before, she was in full wrath mode now. Beetlejuice sighed and crossed his arms, letting them rest on the edge of the mirror. Lydia was careful to make sure no part of the mirror showed so Beetlejuice couldn't see her. He gave sigh and started chewing on the inside of his cheek, trying to think of a plan. There's no way she'd ever forgive him…

Suddenly, there was a tap on the window. Beetlejuice frowned and sat up, trying to figure out what was going on. It had to be that boy again. His suspicions were correct. He heard a deep voice mumble something to Lydia and something that sounded like a slap.

"Ow. Why'd you hit my arm?" the gruff voice said.

"Because you're stupid." Lydia replied.

"Who's voice was that earlier? It wasn't your dad. His car isn't parked in the driveway. In fact, no cars are. There's no one here but you and me."

_Ha! You wish, fat-boy._

"We must have been hearing things…" Lydia said.

"Then whose voice was that a second ago? The one you were yelling at?"

_Me! That was _my_ voice, chubby!_

"No one. I had turned the radio on for a second, but it was the news and the news always gets me so angry…" Lydia ended with a little giggle, trying to prove she was silly like that sometimes.

"In that case…" the gruff voice responded, trailing off.

Beetlejuice started to frown again. He could hear what was going on and was powerless to stop it. He grumbled to himself, silently as possible, then sighed.

"N..no… I'm really not in the mood any more…" Lydia protested.

"Oh, come on! You can't brush me off like that twice in a row! You'll like it."

"I said no. maybe… later…"

There was a growling sound then a thump on the bed. Beetlejuice heard Lydia give a little cry. What was that boy doing to her? More cries… only, now they were muffled…. Did that bastard have his hand over Lydia's mouth? There were sounds of movement, though Beetlejuice couldn't quite make out what was going on. There was a sound of slapping and hitting. Lydia was retaliating_? C'mon, Lyds! Just say the magic B-words and I'll take care of it!_

"AAH!" Lydia gasped at the air and grunted, "BEETLEJUICE! BEETLEJUICE! BEETLEJUICE!!!!"

"It's show time."

There was a crack of thunder and the sound of Beetlejuice's cackle. The room froze for a second, the boy and Lydia being too stunned to move. The boy was suddenly lifted into the air, screaming and kicking, trying his hardest to get down. Beetlejuice was in the shape of a giant snake, holding the boy around his waist by his rattling tail. The ghost-snake hissed, causing the boy to cry out in fear, which tickled Beetlejuice enough to cackle again. Soon, the boy was tossed out the window, screaming bloody murder, and Beetlejuice was standing on the ground in his (ab)normal form next to Lydia.

"Don't hurt him!!" Lydia shrieked.

Beetlejuice sighed, "Fine… you know I'm a big softy for you." Beetlejuice appeared on the ground in the form of a mattress just in time to catch the boy. The boy bounced once then stared at the sky, eyes the size of saucers.

"Hey! Get off my back!" Beetlejuice screeched and disappeared into Lydia's room before the boy could reply with another scream.

Lydia was sitting on her bed, arms wrapped around a pillow. She didn't look traumatized (being around Beetlejuice all the time sort of made her devoid of that emotion). But, Beetlejuice still wanted to comfort her. He sat down next to her, wrapping an arm over her dainty shoulders. Lydia sighed and leaned into the ghost. Beetlejuice didn't know what to say, so he decided to wait until Lydia opened up to him. Thus, they waited a long while in complete silence.

"Thanks… Beej…" Lydia finally ventured, letting the pillow slack in her arms.

"No problemo, babes." Beetlejuice said, patting the girl's arm.

"And… I'm sorry about earlier… It was silly of me to get so upset."

"Like I said, no problem."

So again, the sat in silence, each waiting for the other to say something. It was comforting, just the two of them, sitting there. Each had their own thoughts, but each were content to be with the other. Then, suddenly, Lydia looked up at Beetlejuice. She gave the look of extreme concentration. Then slowly, thoughtfully, she leaned up and pressed her lips against Beetlejuice's. It was his turn to be completely shocked.

Beetlejuice started to pull back, but Lydia grabbed either side of his face and pulled him back down. If Beetlejuice had a pulse, it would have spiked. He inhaled deeply (not that he really had to, it just helped to calm him down) and let his eyes fall shut. He pressed against Lydia lightly, making her lay down. Beetlejuice's right hand slowly rose up the girl's side, tickling her just a bit as his hand moved. Tentatively, he placed his hand on her small breast. He gave it a small squeeze, forcing Lydia to break the kiss and moan.

The breast was quite small. She was, after all, barely breaking the hundred pound mark. But the flesh hard a fresh firmness to it. It was nice. He could feel Lydia's heart pounding in her chest. She was scared. Or excited. Maybe both. Either way, she was doing most of the kissing.

Lydia's left hand moved from the ghost's face to his hand and started to guide it down her body. It rested lightly over her hip, uncertain either person really wanted the hand to do what _it wanted to do. Lydia gave a soft moan and arched her back a bit, trying to urge the fingers on._

"_Lydia! We're home!" It was the real Charles Deetz this time._

_Lydia gasped and pushed the poltergeist off. "BeetlejuiceBeetlejuiceBeetlejuice!!!"_

"_Oh nn-" Beetlejuice tried saying, but was, alas, cut off once again._


	3. Chapter 3

_i've heard a short post is better than no post. so... here's a (_**very**_) short post. i haven't yet decided if i'll add to it or just have a next chapter. probably the latter. it would be easier and i'm a lazy bum. =D _

_oh. and one more thing - are you on facebook? wanna be part of a Beetlejuice fangroup? then come, join me. it'll be awesome-sauce. .?ref=home#?gid=90335728790&ref=mf. ok, shameless plug is over... XD_

_oh. and i don't own the ghost with the most. yet._

"This is enough to make a guy's head spin! AAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!!!!!" thusly, Beetlejuice's head began to spin.

Once again, our hero Beetlejuice was sent back to the Neitherworld at a terrible time. What if Lydia changed her mind? What if she had just been caught up in the moment? Beetlejuice certainly had been. And now it was going to be forever before he could talk to her again… greeeeaaaaaaaat…

Well, at the very least, he could relax for now. No yelling, no screaming, and no silent treatment… for now. He floated to his couch and flopped down. With a sigh, he snuggled down and got comfortable. Well, he _tried to get comfortable. It wasn't so easy right now. Lydia was probably talking with her parents. What was she thinking about? Was she going to realize she had just done… eh… naughty things with a dead guy?_

_Then it hit Beetlejuice (literally). She was 16. He was 600. And even if you decided to only take into account how old he was when he died, he was still over… 30 (cough). Which is worse? A pedophile or a necrophiliac? Of course, both sides were completely willing, so that wasn't so bad… right?_

_Beetlejuice groaned and hovered towards his couch. She'll call him back, soon. She always did. Of course, things were going to be awkward for a while… but it would definitely work out. After all, he was the ghost with the most. And the two had already been through so much. What's one more little kiss? Or… well, whatever had just went on. Of course, last time he thought that, she covered the mirror with a sheet while she made out with that boy. _

_There was a skittering sound going across the floor. Beetlejuice looked down. It was (his favorite!) a beetle, dashing as fast as its little legs could carry it, probably knowing whose home it was in. yet, Beetlejuice didn't feel like grabbing it. He sighed and watched the insect head towards a wall and crawl through a small crack. _

_So many thoughts… too many at once… and they were all running through Beetlejuice's head. _


	4. Chapter 4

_Hey guys! _

_Pocket has done it. Officially, these characters are no longer 'in' character. They are all officially off the deep (yet far more interesting) end. And Pocket hopes you will stick around to see the conclusion. Just a few more chapters. Pocket shall make it well worth your time. Pocket does not own Beetlejuice. this makes Pocket sad..._

Already two weeks… that's how long it had been since the last time Lydia called Beetlejuice to save her from that creep. Two whole weeks without a single word. The ghost wasn't even hungry. His neighbors even started worrying about him. Jacques, the skeleton that lived a few doors down, began checking up on Beetlejuice, but, there was never any change in the ghost. He just sat there on his couch day after day, zoned out. Jacques even took it upon himself to bring food to Beetlejuice, but after three days of full plates remaining full, he gave up.

Beetlejuice wasn't upset, exactly, he just didn't know what to do with himself. He wanted to see Lydia, but was afraid of how awkward things might be. Why on earth did he ever kiss her? Furthermore, why on earth did she kiss back? She wasn't old enough for him and he wasn't… ahem… alive enough for her.

Sure, Beetlejuice had had flings before. There were a ton of beautiful women in the Netherworld, but he'd never actually been attached to any of those women. They were just flings. Unimportant people he'd never see again - that's all they were. And, Beetlejuice didn't want to see them again.

To be honest, with each of those random women, he'd pretend they were Lydia. He'd be with those random women, most of which didn't have memorable names, and wonder what it would be like if they were Lydia. He'd been wrong for the most part. He knew Lydia had warm, soft skin, but all women he'd been with had cold, hard flesh. Some had skin so brittle he couldn't be too rough with them. He hated being careful. Of course, there was that one woman… she had bright red hair and green-ish skin… she had committed suicide. She was wild, and coming from someone like Beetlejuice, that's saying something. She liked ropes. And knifes. And dogs.

But not one of those experiences could even slightly compare to Lydia. Just thinking about her body against his sent a shiver down his back. Beetlejuice took in a deep breath and sighed it out. He really had to go see her. He'd use all his self control and will power to make sure he didn't do anything like that with her again. He had to know what she was thinking. He had to know if she felt the same way he did - either the relationship would work out (in some weird, awkward way), or they would ignore it and go back to being just friends.

Finally, after a few days of thinking about it, Beetlejuice pulled himself from the couch and floated towards the mirror. There was no curtain. That's a good start. There was also no Lydia. There went the good start. He glanced around the room. It looked a little different… something was missing… he looked towards the nightstand. 4:30pm. Lydia should be home soo… wait. That's not the right clock. What happened to the Dracula clock? In fact, where was anything Beetlejuice had given Lydia? Even his picture was missing. What was wrong with that crazy girl?

"I'll just hang out here for a little while…" Beetlejuice said to himself. It's not like he had anything better to do. And, he wanted to talk to Lydia right away. Maybe he had done something wrong? Maybe he waited too long to talk to her… maybe she was mad he didn't stick around in her mirror after she sent him back. That girl was so difficult to understand.

Amidst his contemplation, Beetlejuice almost didn't notice Lydia's bedroom door opening. He gasped and ducked down, knowing it couldn't be Lydia. She always ran into the room. It was probably Delia, Lydia's step-mother. If that was the case, she wouldn't notice him. Beetlejuice peeked his eyes up.

There was a small shape huddled on the bed. Beetlejuice's mouth fell open. It was Lydia, only she wasn't in her normal clothes. Nor was her hair done up in her usual style. Lydia was sitting on her bed in something light colored… it was a pink-ish color. The shirt showed her midriff and the skirt came to the middle of her thighs. Lydia had her hair brushed differently, with side-swept bangs. And, she was wearing light make-up. She didn't look so beautifully pale… she looked like she had a fake tan.

"Whoa, babes. I leave you alone for a few days and you turn into a Claire look-alike."

Lydia gasped and jumped up. She started shielding herself with her arms. She wasn't looking at the mirror at Beetlejuice, but the floor instead. The girl started chewing on the inside of her bottom lip. Beetlejuice frowned, wanting desperately to reach out and hug her. But, he couldn't do that if she didn't call him out. He didn't like talking to her from the Netherworld side of the mirror. It was liking talking to someone through an invisible door.

"Where ya been, babes?" Beetlejuice said, trying to make conversation. He was afraid she'd toss a shirt over the mirror again. It seemed that's what she was planning.

"I could ask you the same thing." Lydia said, her left hand moving to grab her right arm, continuing to shield herself from him.

Beetlejuice felt a twinge of guilt radiating from the pit of his stomach. He pursed his lips for a second, trying to come up with something to say, the leaned against the side of the mirror. He crossed his arms over his chest, his turn to shield himself from Lydia.

"You coulda called me at any time, Lyds." Beetlejuice retorted. He was going to hold his ground.

"You could have checked on me at any time, too." Lydia responded in a tone so sharp, it cut through Beetlejuice's heart. Lydia then threw herself on her bed and hid her face in her pillows. Now, more than ever, Beetlejuice wanted to reach out and touch her. He was never really any good at this kind of stuff. He didn't really know how to make people feel better. So, he did the only logical thing he could come up with - continue the conversation.

"What happened to your room? Where's all the stuff I got you?"

"mm..naïf… rew..garb…aer.." Lydia mumbled into her pillows

"Huh?"

"I got rid of your stupid junk." Lydia turned her head long enough to bark at Beetlejuice then went back to her pillow. Beetlejuice was hurt but, he'd never let it show. He frowned and cleared his throat, then was right back to himself.

"Oh. Then, what happened to your clothes? You look stupid."

Lydia gave another muffled response, Beetlejuice was jut a bit more polite this time, specifying he couldn't understand her when she spoke into the pillows, to which she responded, "My boyfriend likes when I look like this."

Beetlejuice flinched, getting cut once again. He started twiddling his fingers a bit, not entirely sure of what to do or say now. He could just leave, but then Lydia would never forgive him. Still, that felt like a really good idea right now. He could survive without her. He was already dead - what was the worst that could happen? But, he just cared too much about her. This 'boyfriend' was trying to change her. That did no set well with Beetlejuice.

"What boyfriend?"

Lydia took a second, like she was about to talk into the pillows but changed her mind, then sat up. Her eyes were a little red and puffy and her cheeks flushed. She sniffled, rubbing her eyes, then took a deep breath to compose herself.

"Though I know I should be wary…" Lydia started, getting from her bed and closing the curtains so no one would see. "still, I summon someone scary." the girl stood out of the way so she could summon the ghost. "Ghostly haunting I turn loose - Beetlejuice. Beetlejuice. BEETLJUICE!"

Beetlejuice was pulled from the mirror, giving his screeching chuckle as he landed in the center of Lydia's bedroom. It was the best part of being Lydia's friend - he could get out of the Netherworld. But, he quickly remembered Lydia was upset. He turned and dropped his arms around the girl's small shoulders, pulling her in a tight embrace.

"Now. Talk." Beetlejuice said, leading Lydia to the bed to sit down.

Lydia's face started twisting into a frown. She hid her face in her hands and started sniffling. The ghost had no idea how to comfort her, so he just rested his arm over the poor girl's shoulders, waiting for her to calm herself down. Which, Lydia did, slowly. She leaned into Beetlejuice and sighed, regaining her composure. The make-up she had on was completely ruined, the eyeliner smudged on either side of her face. She looked like a complete wreck. Yet, Beetlejuice thought she was absolutely beautiful.

Finally, Lydia took a deep breath and opened her mouth, "That boy you tossed out my window, Danny… he apologized for being a jerk. And then he took me out to eat at this really nice restaurant. And he was so nice to me…"

"Lyds, stop. You can't be serious."

Lydia stood up, obviously offended. She crossed her arms and walked to the other side of the room, keeping her back to her ghostly friend. "Well, it's not like I had anyone to talk to about it. Bertha and Prudence both like him and he's the only guy alive who has ever looked at me like that."

Beetlejuice was a little hurt by the "alive" part of her argument. He looked at her like that all the time. But of course, he wasn't alive. He was dead. He was stupid to think Lydia would ever like him like that. What an idiot. But, Lydia wasn't any better for dating that joke just because he had a pulse.

Beetlejuice laid back on Lydia's bed, using his hands as pillows behind his head. Lydia walked around the room, half-heartedly pacing. Ok, so she really didn't like dead guys. That's fine. They'd be stuck for eternity, anyway. And there was always that blue chick. He could survive with that. Not that a dead person really has to survive.

Lydia sighed and walked towards the bed. She flopped down on her back next to the ghost and rested her arms over her eyes, blocking out the light. She mumbled something Beetlejuice couldn't understand then sighed noisily. Beetlejuice glanced over at her, but felt naughty thoughts creep through his mind so he closed his eyes and ignored her.

"I put all your stuff under my bed. Danny's been spending a lot of time over here. He thought it was weird. And I didn't want to explain who the guy in all my pictures of you was. He doesn't believe in an afterlife. He'd just think I was crazy."

"How did you explain him getting tossed out your window on to a talking mattress then?" Beetlejuice asked without opening his eyes.

"He thinks he fell out when he first left and hit his head."

"What do you even see in him?" Beetlejuice asked in a peevish tone. He sat up and juiced away from the bed towards the window Lydia had just closed. He took a peek out, checking for anyone looking, then opened the curtains. Every now and then sunlight felt really good. Though, Beetlejuice made a spectacle of how bright the sun was.

"The same could be asked about what I see in you, Beej."

Beetlejuice looked back at Lydia. She was now huddled up on the bed. She looked so tiny and fragile. She was right, of course. Not many people even tolerated him, let alone liked him. He was gross, made bad jokes, almost all of which were puns, and was rude. But that's just how he was. It didn't matter to him other people didn't like him. Lydia did. That was enough. But now… it seemed like even Lydia had her issues with him. Maybe he was just too childish.

That's when the idea struck him. Maybe now… it would kill two birds with one stone. He could find out her feelings and convince her to get rid of that fat-boy. Beetlejuice licked his lips and took a deep breath.

"But, Lydia, I… I love you."


	5. Chapter 5

_Wow. Five chapters in and we're just starting to get to the good stuff? Who wrote this? J.R.R. Tolkien?!_

_Pocket still lacks ownership of Beetlejuice and Lydia. Pocket does, however, own Danny being as Pocket made Danny up. 3_

Beetlejuice half expected Lydia to send him back to the Netherworld after he said those three dangerous words, but, Lydia just stared up at him. Her mouth was slightly cracked open in what Beetlejuice assumed was awe. The girls' make-up was smudged, making Lydia look more like she just got out of a fight than finished crying on her best friends' shoulder. The two continued staring at each other in silence.

Rather than be sent home, Beetlejuice walked towards the vanity mirror. He leaned against the table, trying to think of something to say before he left, but nothing came to mind. He was almost as stunned at himself as Lydia. He was strangely aware of himself, his tongue, body, every part.

"I… uh… gotta go… I left the oven on…" Beetlejuice finally thought of an excuse, pathetic as it was. Lydia just stared at him. Her mouth was now closed and her eyes a bit glazed over. Well, there goes that friendship. The only person he had cared about in 600 years and he just ruined everything. It was nice while it lasted.

The ghost let himself fall back just a bit more, another inch or so and he'd be right through the mirror, into the Netherworld. He didn't want to go, of course, he wanted to stay and talk about it with Lydia, but she seemed to be in shock. She wasn't going to cooperate. Though, after a few seconds, Lydia started nodding, giving the ghost the okay to leave.

Beetlejuice toppled backwards, falling into his house from his own mirror. He mumbled about needed to work on his landing as he stood up, straightening his back. The ghost crosses his arms and sighed, taking a quick glance through the mirror at his Lydia then sulked to his couch, wondering what to do next.

Lydia was dating a creep. Beetlejuice just kissed Lydia and confessed his love for her. Lydia was now in shock. And Beetlejuice was out in the cold. (The roadhouse did have a pretty bad draft.)

The ghost lounged on the couch, or at least tried to. He couldn't get comfortable. His heart ached and made the rest of his body hurt, too. He tossed and turned, desperately trying to get comfortable but failing miserably. Lydia was the only friend he had. He even had a shrine to her in his head. She was too important to just let out of his afterlife. Especially after all they'd been through.

Beetlejuice sat up and cautiously walked towards the mirror. He peeked through into Lydia's bedroom, checking on her. It had only been a little while since he left, maybe half an hour, but he couldn't stand the thought of her still being upset.

Lydia was asleep, passed out on top of her bedcovers. Beetlejuice couldn't make out much of her appearance, but it looked like she'd taken a shower. Her hair was wet and her usually porcelain skin had a rosy tinge to it. She was in a loose fitting outfit, a long tank top with baggy pants, and looked comfortable. Beetlejuice wanted so much to come out of the mirror and snuggle next to her, shelter her and keep her safe.

"That's it!"

It's not like he'd never done it before - go into Lydia's dreams and trick her into letting him out. That's how they became friends in the first place. After a botched wedding scheme, he snuck into one of her dreams and tricked her into saying his name. She woke up soon and after a screaming match, he won her over by making her giggle.

Beetlejuice let himself float into Lydia's dream. It was hazy and unfocused. This wasn't usual for Lydia at all. Her dreams were usually fast-paced and so clear you would think it was really happening. Beetlejuice floated around for a second, trying to find his dreamy friend when to his shock, there she was. Only, it didn't look like her. This Lydia had long, blonde hair held out of her face with a bow. Her skin was sun kissed. She was wearing a white tube top with low rise jeans. And, sandals.

The ghost cringed. He came a little closer but stopped in his tracks when a boy sat down next to Lydia and wrapped his arm around her. Beetlejuice squinted his eyes then gasped. The boy had dark skin and black hair and was wearing a green polo shirt. It was that jack off, Danny! Beetlejuice rolled up his right sleeve, ready to do some major damage when he remembered it was just a dream. But, it was just _Lydia_'s dream.

Realizing he could use this all to his advantage, the ghost ducked down behind a bush. Apparently they were in a park. He pushed some branches out of his way to get a better look. Hopefully, being inside Lydia's head would help him get inside her head.

"I love you, Lyds." the dream Danny said, pulling Lydia into a tight embrace.

"Danny… I…" Lydia started to say, but let herself get smothered instead.

"Don't speak, my love. Let us simply enjoy each other and this day."

Beetlejuice cringed again and started to gag. Seriously? Was _that what Lydia wanted? It was a disgusting display. But… if that's what would make her happy… Maybe he could pull it off._

_The ghost changed his plans and left Lydia's dream. If she was enjoying herself, then so be it. But soon… very soon, Danny would have a run for his money. Beetlejuice could totally pull off romantic. _


	6. Chapter 6

Beetlejuice 6

_So after much debate, this is the direction Pocket has decided to take this chapter. Pocket has already gone off the deep end. What's a little further?_

Beetlejuice lounged on his couch, arms folded over his eyes. Lydia hadn't called for him for a while now. Beetlejuice wondered if the girl was upset with him. Or maybe she fell in love with that prick… what was his name? Oh. Danny. Danny who didn't like Lydia for the dark and macabre person she was.

Oh right. The plan. Beetlejuice had slipped into one of Lydia's dreams. She seemed happy in that disgusting dream. She was hanging off that jackass. She was content with… well… everything! It was horrifying. Beetlejuice shuddered and gagged a bit. What did Lydia see in that guy?

For a minute, the ghost let his mind (metaphorically) wander. He wondered, briefly, what it would be like if he was alive and the same age as Lydia. What if he'd gone to school with her? Or, more accurately, what if she'd gone to school with him? Would they have liked each other then? Would he have the same feelings for her? Or would he have done to her what he did to so many young women? What if the circumstances were flipped? What if she was the ghost and he was living? Of course he'd still like her, but would she still like him?

The complicated thoughts started giving the ghost a horrible headache, so he gave up. The 'what-if's' really didn't matter. He'd never know what any of that would be like. It was pointless to worry.

Now then… what was he going to do to entice and romance his sweet little Lydia? In the dream, the two were at a park, going on and on about how much they looooooooooooove each other. Not exactly Beej's style.

One time the ghost had seen a romantic movie. In it, the guy brought the girl flowers. That seemed simple enough. And aren't guys supposed to bring chocolates or something like that? Beetlejuice was always giving Lydia chocolate covered ants, but she never ate them… In fact, come to think of it, she never ate anything from the Netherworld. Oooh… that's because she's alive. She _can't_ eat Nether-food. Well, that makes things a bit more difficult. How was he going to get her gifts without her knowing?

"I wonder what time it is…" Beetlejuice floated towards the mirror to Lydia's room. He peeked through and looked around. The room was dark. Apparently he picked the right time to be a sneaky little bastard.

Lydia was asleep. Convenient. This time, Beetlejuice swore to not get distracted. He found himself inside the girl's head. The setting was much different than before. It was more like her bedroom, only slight differences. Lydia was sitting on her bed, holding a teddy bear… she looked so small. Beetlejuice went into the dream room.

"Say the magic 'B' words, babes. Then, we can play!"

The dream version of Lydia looked up at the ghost. Her mouth moved, but no sound came out. Beetlejuice leaned in closer, trying desperately to hear her. But, there was no sound. Not even a whisper.

The ghost grabbed Lydia by the shoulders and shook her gently, "Lyds! Snap out of it!"

Slowly, the room started to dissolve. Beetlejuice was still clinging to the girl, though that wouldn't help much if she was waking up. But… she wasn't waking up. She was still right there. The two were now in a void, though. There was no light except the little area around them. Lydia had been staring up at the ghost the whole time. Beetlejuice had no idea what to do. He couldn't just leave her dream and wake her up. She would know he had really been there. To her, right now, he was just a figment of her imagination. Though… there was one way he could wake her up.

Beetlejuice loosened his grip on Lydia's shoulder's. The ghosts' right hand lightly caressed Lydia's arm, then up her neck, and rested against her cheek. He leaned in closely, just inches from her face, affectionately stroking her cheek with his thumb.

"Lydia…" he purred, looking deeply into her eyes. He'd never really noticed how dark they were. Or how big. She had an extremely innocent look. And her lips… they looked so soft and inviting. Perfect. Everything about his Lydia was absolutely perfect.

The ghosts' hand slid down, under Lydia's chin, lightly pulling her close. Beetlejuice would be able to smell her scent if this hadn't been a dream. His eyes fell shut and he took a deep breath. He hadn't really kissed a girl in a very, very long time. His lips puckered slightly, getting ready for the delicious impact.

His lips touched against… something hard… and cold. This was not what he was expecting from someone as warm and alive as Lydia. The ghost opened his eyes, frowning. He wasn't kissing Lydia. He wasn't even in the dream any more. He leaned back. Beetlejuice was on his side of the mirror. Which is what he'd been passionately kissing.

Beetlejuice growled, which turned into a low scream, and banged his head against the wall next to the mirror. He was also spewing out a string of curses that would have made _him_ blush to hear. The night had been a double bust full of extra failure.

"Beej..?" came Lydia's soft, yet tired voice. It was good to hear.

Beetlejuice leaned over and peeked into the mirror. Lydia looked so… delicious.

"Heeeeeeeey, babes. You caught me while I was…" Beetlejuice looked around, trying to find an excuse for why he was already at the window, "looking for something tasty."

"Ooh.. Well, I just had a dream about you…" Lydia said. She seemed a little shy. She grabbed her right arm with her left and her pale cheeks changed to a soft pink shade.

"Oh, really? What happened?" Beetlejuice asked, acting nonchalant.

"Nothing important… Wanna come out?"

"Say the magic words!"

After Lydia got her poltergeist friend out, she plopped herself down on her bed and held her pillow. Beetlejuice watched her. She looked so tiny, again. Beetlejuice floated towards the bed and let himself fall lightly next to Lydia.

"So, are you going to tell me the problem or just sit there?" Beetlejuice uttered. He wasn't invested in the conversation, but knew something was wrong.

"I think I'll just sit here. I like having you around… I've really missed you, Beej."

"You sure have a strange way of showing it."

Lydia turned and gave her ghostly companion a glare. _Uh-oh_, Beetlejuice thought. He crossed a line. Strangely enough, though, he wanted to keep going. He hadn't realized it until just that moment how hurt he'd been about Lydia dating that twerp and ignoring him. Sure, he was only her friend, but she was also _his_ friend and she meant the world and beyond to him.

"It's the truth. You're too busy day dreaming about that… what's his name? Oh, right - Douche bag… I mean, Danny."

Lydia stared, mouth agape. Her face was a strange mixture of shock and anger. She stared to sit up, but Beetlejuice placed his hand on her chest and pushed her back down. He was not going to let Lydia send him back, not yet. She had to listen now. She was always the wise one, giving advice to Beetlejuice how to run his after life. Not now. Now it was his turn.

"What do you even see in that ass? He's mean to you and he has no sense of humour and he's a plain out dork. There's nothing likable about him!"

"There's not much likable about _you_, either!" Lydia retorted, shoving Beetlejuice's hand off and away from her.

Beetlejuice scowled as Lydia stood up. She was pointing at the mirror, obviously ready to send the ghost back to his own world. Why had he pushed her so hard? Man… no wonder Lydia always looked stressed out. Being the wise one is far from easy.

Lydia's lips parted, forming the name of the poltergeist. But, before her voice started working, Beetlejuice pounced on her, covering her mouth.

"Wait!" he commanded, lying on top of the girl.

Lydia was staring up at Beetlejuice. Where anger and shock once were was now fear. The ghost quickly realized she was probably still traumatized from when Danny was hurting her. He rushed to pull himself away. The ghost was soon floating in the air above Lydia, giving her room to sit up.

"Haven't things always worked out between us? Why can't you trust me to be right the way I trust you?"

Lydia sat up, glaring at the ghost. She pulled her knees up against her chest and wrapped her arms around her legs. She let out a long sigh and looked away.

"Hey, Lydia?" Beetlejuice asked cautiously. "I have something for you."

Magic isn't as simple as making something appear from nothing. Everything has to come from somewhere. Beetlejuice's powers only worked with the world he was in. So, technically it was stealing, but the ghost had done much worse for more pathetic reasons.

"Sweets for my sweet?" Beetlejuice held out a small, heart shaped box of chocolates.

Lydia looked up, again stunned. The ghost wasn't sure what else to do, so he held the box out for her to grab. Lydia carefully grabbed the box. She probably thought when she opened it, snakes would pop out or something.

"I'm sor… I'm sssss…. I… want to show you what it's like on a good date." Beetlejuice lightly fell to the floor, looking away from Lydia. Since his heart didn't beat, no blood was rushing to his cheeks, yet, he still felt the warmth and embarrassment rising.

Epilogue:

Three days after their argument, the two decided to go on a date in the real world. They didn't stay in Peaceful Pines. Instead, they went out of town. Too many people knew Lydia was friends with "Mr. Beetleman" and it would be suspicious and raise too many questions to catch the two in any kind of romantic situation.

Beetlejuice was extremely nervous about the whole situation. He hadn't been on a real date in… gee… centuries! He brushed his teeth and hair, and even cleaned his suit. _That_ is how uneasy he felt.

The ghost grabbed his gifts for Lydia. He wanted to make a good impression. He got a gold bracelet with a spider charm, a small diamond imbedded in its back and a Netherworld rose. The roses in the Netherworld were particularly beautiful with their black petals with red tips - and the best part is they lasted an extremely long time.

After getting into the Dragster of Doom, Beetlejuice patiently waited for Lydia to call for him. Girls take so long getting ready…. How was she going to look? Hopefully she'd wear the black number. Without the poncho. It hid all the best parts on her dainty body.

Suddenly, Doomie was driving down the road. The world was no longer the colorful oddity of the Netherworld, but the soft normality of Lydia's world. The car and Beetlejuice pulled right up to Lydia's house. The ghost grabbed the gifts and walked up to the door. He lightly tapped with his knuckles and was a bit surprised at how quickly the door opened.

Lydia stood there, a vision of loveliness (as usual). Her hair was teased up and she was, in fact, wearing the black outfit she usually wore when in the Netherworld. She wasn't wearing her poncho which thrilled the ghost. Every lovely curve… mm… but, he woke himself up.

"H-hi, Lydia! I have stuff for you!!" Beetlejuice said a little too enthusiastically. Lydia giggled a bit, making the ghost even more nervous. Though, it was good to see her happy again. "It's a bracelet because you're a girl and a flower because you smell nice." Beetlejuice quickly realized how dumb he must sound, but held the gifts out anyway. Lydia took the Nether-rose, inhaling its scent, and held out her right wrist for Beetlejuice to grace with the bracelet. He tried, but the jewelry fell to the ground, the ghost suddenly having figurative butterfingers.

"S-sor… eh… I guess I'm just nervous…"

"Don't worry, Beej. Just be yourself. I love you for you.

_Fin_


	7. A Word from the Author

_Note from the author -_

_Thank you to everyone who has supported me. I was surprised when I got one fan, but now I have a good sized little handful. You guys really made me want to keep writing! I do hope no one was disappointed with the last chapter. The last chapter is as important as the first in that people have to feel like they're satisfied. Are you? I hope so. _

_The original plot was actually much different. I suppose that you can tell when I was influenced by other things. I did want to bring something new and different to the Beej we all know and love. Do you think I did?_

_I was once asked by a fan, "I'm dying to know what Lydia is thinking. Will we ever get to hear her thoughts?" Well, I suppose we have our answer now that the story is over - no. we never once hear her thoughts. I've always been a fan of writing stories from the perspective of characters. And, as far as I've seen, no one has ever written from just Beetlejuice's perspective. He's such an interesting character, it's almost a crime._

_I wanted people to feel the same frustration our poltergeist friend was going through. Throughout, we have no idea what Lydia is thinking or why she's acting the way she does. Beetlejuice can't read her thoughts. Neither, then, shall we._

_What was most difficult about this story was the consistency. I've never written a story quite like this. I'm sorry if it seemed a bit choppy. It's certainly taught me a lot about how to keep a plot going. _

_As a side note, I'm writing another Beetlejuice story. This one will be pretty short (at least in comparison). It'll be about how Beej died. It's more based on the movie than the cartoon. It's also kinda dark. Aaaaaaaand… a whole lot easier to write!_

_So, if you liked this, keep an eye out for my other story. I'll be posting it in… mm… I'd say a few weeks, tops. _

_Pocket loves you and is grateful for all your support! Bye bye!_


End file.
